She may have ditched a duchess – but she certainly hasn’t dented her CV.
After walking out of her job as personal assistant to Meghan Markle (she stayed for just six months), Melissa Touabti has landed a job with one of the richest families in London.
Melissa, 39, has been snapped up by Natalie Livingstone, journalist wife of billionaire Richard Livingstone who owns super-posh stately home Cliveden House.
After walking out of her job as personal assistant to Meghan Markle, Melissa Touabti (left)has landed a job with one of the richest families in London. Melissa, 39, has been snapped up by Natalie Livingstone, journalist wife of billionaire Richard Livingstone (above, together, right) who owns super-posh stately home Cliveden House
It’s thought Melissa got to know property tycoon Richard when she organised Meghan’s pre-wedding stay at £500-a-night Cliveden (pictured) before she married Harry in nearby Windsor
Melissa is to be weekend nanny for the couple and their three children at their £20million Notting Hill home.
Melissa has also worked for Robbie Williams and Madonna and a source tells me: ‘She is one of the best in the business, so it was little wonder that the Livingstones snapped her up.
‘She was never going to be out of a job for long.’
It’s thought Melissa got to know property tycoon Richard when she organised Meghan’s pre-wedding stay at £500-a-night Cliveden before she married Harry in nearby Windsor.
Meanwhile, Prince William’s former private secretary Miguel Head, 40, has left The Firm well and truly behind him, taking up a research post at Harvard University.
Meghan Markle (with her mother, Doria Ragland), arriving at Cliveden House Hotel shortly before her marriage to Prince Harry
Meghan’s aides and their time with the Duchess
Amy Pickerall (pictured above) is the latest to step down
Since Meghan Markle joined the Royal family she has had three staff members step down.
Amy Pickerill
Amy Pickerill was appointed as Meghan’s assistant last year and is now set to step down from the position.
Amy had helped Meghan transition from her role as royal-to-be, to her being a fully-fledged member of the family.
The assistant from Walton-on-Thames had always been by Meghan’s side, dutifully ready to collect cards and gifts that Meghan received during royal engagements. Part of her role was also to be in charge of the Duchess’s diary, as well as preparing her briefs ahead of every engagement.
Amy had held roles at the Royal Bank of Scotland before joining the royal family as a senior communications officer for the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry.
Samantha Cohen
Samantha Cohen (pictured above) at Meghan and Harry’s wedding
In December it was revealed that long time staff member Samantha Cohen would be leaving Kensington Palace.
Samantha, who is originally from Australia said she would leave the royal household once the new baby had arrived.
She had previously worked as Queen Elizabeth II’s private secretary, but announced her resignation from that role in 2017 in order to join Meghan and Harry.
Meghan had hope to keep Samantha on her team permanently as she had previously advised her on the jump from Hollywood to royal life.
Samantha’s resignation was revealed as Meghan was bombarded by rumours that she was difficult to deal with.
Samantha was also in attendance at the Royal Wedding in May 2018 in St George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle.
The couple had a guest list which featured both royal and famous faces.
Melissa Touabti
Melissa Touabti (above) had previously worked for Robbie Williams
PA Melissa Touabti left six months after the Royal wedding and was key during the build up to the event.
The 39-year-old from France had previously worked for X Factor judges Robbie Williams and his wife Ayda Field, who she loved working for, according to friends.
It’s not known if Williams provided a reference for Melissa, but the singer and his wife, the fellow X Factor judge Ayda Field, enjoy close links to the Royal Family.
After Meghan’s PA quit, a Palace source was authorised to pay tribute to her and the role she played in helping organise Prince Harry and Meghan’s wedding.
‘Melissa is a hugely talented person,’ the source said. ‘She played a pivotal role in the success of the Royal Wedding and will be missed by everyone in the Royal Household.’
Say cheese! There’s a new Royal snapper in town
Move over Annie Leibovitz, there’s a new snapper desperate to make her mark – Sarah Ferguson.
The Duchess of York took this picture of her daughters for International Women’s Day on Friday.
Move over Annie Leibovitz, there’s a new snapper desperate to make her mark – Sarah Ferguson, who was very pleased with her photo of Eugenie and Beatrice
She was so pleased with her snap of Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie that she posted it online, calling them ‘strong women’.
I suspect Dara Huang, the former love of Bea’s boyfriend Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, might opt for a different adjective…
Anything Bros can do, the Kemps can do too.
Following the success of Matt and Luke Goss’s BBC4 film Bros: After The Screaming Stops, Spandau Ballet heart-throb Martin Kemp has let slip that he and his brother Gary could be about to make their own documentary.
When asked about the prospect at the Global Awards last week, Martin told me coyly: ‘A mockumentary? Oh, maybe. I’m not going to say any more, I can’t say any more.
‘But I can take the p*** out of myself. You have to before somebody else does it.’
I wonder who loves themselves more, Jennifer Lopez or her partner Alex Rodriguez?
The pair enjoyed their own battle of the selfie during a sunshine holiday last week, with baseball legend A-Rod, 43, snapping himself looking deep and meaningful as the sun sets – only to be upstaged by the pop star and actress.
J-Lo, 49, posted the picture of her photobombing triumph, with the caption ‘#beachbums’.
But I’m not sure it was a victory. When was the last time anyone saw her at the back of a snap, especially when dressed in such a skimpy cossie?
I wonder who loves themselves more, Jennifer Lopez or her partner Alex Rodriguez?